At tomorrow's No Kings rally, I too am Antifa

I am Antifa

TAT readers,

As longtime readers know, I consider myself a true patriot, through and through. It’s not patriotism associated with political parties, simply because a top-tier hero of mine, President George Washington warned about today’s fascist GOP, in his Farewell Address in 1796. It is also because I was raised by dad, a principled Democrat and Mom, a principled Republican who both crossed party lines when truth said to do so. I follow their lead for reasons proven true over my lifetime of supporting and studying what truly makes America great, and it sure as hell isn’t the Project 2025 fascism, that today’s Republicans are selling and implementing. I like to tell people of all political “sides,” that if we just adhere to our constitutional principles, the politics will work out. Sadly, the Administration, a Republican-led Congress and the US Supreme Court, no longer give a damn about the constitution. Conned Republican voters, enable all of them.

I’ve attended a couple of these rallies since inauguration day, and even though I haven’t always agreed with a couple of the focus’ of these rallies. Still, they represented the true American spirit of advancing your beliefs via our First Amendment rights. Neither have these rallies advocated for the destruction of our constitutional republic, which is the precise agenda of today’s GOP. In today’s relatively shorter essay, don’t be surprised if I include links to previous essays that discuss certain issues in-depth. My intent with TAT, has been to always provide as much credible insights to my readers, in order to support what our founders required, “an accurately and well-informed citizenry.”

To put it bluntly, tomorrow’s “No Kings” protests is really, a true patriotism vs. GOP fake patriotism debate, by way of millions of inspired Americans refusing to stand down in the face of tyranny. There is no need to overly think this issue because it is truly, this simple. Today though, I will take a quick look at a couple of insights about our rights and the requirement as honorable citizens, to protest and shutdown those who would destroy our republic.

Onward to victory

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Tomorrow’s protests are not just Democrats and their progressives. I have attended these rallies before and have casually talked with a wide variety of protesters. They come from all slices of the American political spectrum. There are citizens from across the political spectrum, from disgruntled Republicans who are standing and chanting next to some of the nation’s most progressive activists. This is the purpose of our precious First Amendment rights, daily trashed and undermined, by Republicans wielding the evil sword of censorship against all who disagree with them. As noted earlier, there are some issues that I don’t believe make sense to be priorities at this time, but still, we will again exercise our rights as law-abiding citizens in defiance of a tyrant and his sycophantic party and oligarchs. We all get a voice, even the tyrants.

Speaking of the tyrants, for those who also pay close attention to the political currents, we’ve all seen an aggressive increase in Republican rhetoric about these protests. Isn’t it rich that those who are trampling our constitutional rights, are those who dishonestly speak so harshly against those legally exercising them. Men like Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson, has been the primary cheerleader, calling the protests, the “hate America rallies.” Then he played the dishonest Hamas and Antifa hate cards in the same speech. Both are about as truthful as him being being 6 feet tall. Sycophantic congressmen, senators and administration officials, parrot the same nonsense knowing full well, that the brainwashed Republican base will believe anything spewing from their mouths. The rest of us will not.

As I have written in the past, I am critical of some of the more stringent protesters in support of the Palestinian issues at these rallies. This isn’t because I disagree to protest legally but because as a professional deeply experienced in counterterrorism, the Middle East and influence operations, I know that those speakers are reciting false narratives. Still, they have rights the same as those spewing an endless string of Republican conspiracy theories for the past decade and a half. At least the protesters are not dismantling our constitution'. On the other hand, a willfully ignorant and brainwashed Republican base, are fully enabling the dismantling.

This raises the issue of Johnson and his fellow far-right extremists, telling the most extraordinary lies about Antifa. Just this past Wednesday, I wrote an in-depth essay about the history and beliefs of Antifa based on my deep professional understanding of extremist movements, terrorist movements and radicalization. There is not one shred of truth to the Antifa lies being disseminated by every nook and cranny of the administration and their party. Without having to read that essay, the bottom line is that Antifa, is a defensive movement only, that stands up for those being threatened by fascists. There is no real Antifa organization other than being very loosely affiliated via shared beliefs that are in my professional opinion, a bit shy of actually even being an ideology. Always remember, if there were no fascists, there would be no Antifa.

Finally, I want to make just a couple of quick points, as we all head into our weekend. This administration is hellbent on converting our republic, into what I call, The four horsemen of the MAGA Apocalypse: Autocracy, Oligarchy, Christian Nationalism and Political Violence. In other words, they intend a fascist nation, built on greed, unlimited power, cruelty, dishonesty, racism, misogynism and the intent to turn the American people into serfs.

I will be on the streets tomorrow, along with other true patriots of mixed beliefs. No matter how much we differ or not in those beliefs, they are my allies for the sole reason that they are all Antifa, just like me. Maybe that is how all of true patriots standing against the Republican fascists should all call ourselves Antifa. One of my favorite old films to watch with my father growing up, was Spartacus. In the movie about a slave who leads a rebellion against a decadent and immoral Roman empire, there is a scene where a Roman general wants to know which one of the rebels captured is Spartacus. In order to protect their leader, each man answers, “I am Spartacus.” There is safety and conviction in numbers, and there are more of us against this fascist government than for. Maybe it is time for an “I am Spartacus” moment in our resistance. I will begin and if you believe as I do, just maybe you will join in.

I clearly declare here and until we free ourselves from the ongoing tyranny, that I too am Antifa. I’ve fought for the values of our nation, that I hold so dear. I am sworn to, “protect and defend the constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” I will always be Antifa.

Onward fellow patriots and I’ll see some of you tomorrow on the streets of San Antonio, along with the rest of the Antifa crowd. It’s the right thing to do.

Publius Redux